Give Me a Reason
by Kymfanfics
Summary: Michonne agrees to go on a blind date but the night takes an unexpected turn when Rick Grimes shows up. Richonne focused fic!. (One-shot. AU: No Zombies. Hint of Sasha and Abraham.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I took a break from my longer Richonne piece to write this A/U one-shot. This story is complete (though I may rewrite it from Rick's POV in the near future after I finish my All In story). Hope you enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead. I just love Richonne!**

* * *

 **Give me a reason**

Michonne looked at her watch and frowned. He was late. Twenty-three minutes behind schedule to be exact. She found her eyes drifting toward the door whenever someone walked into the restaurant, wondering if that person was him. The small shred of anticipation she had about the evening dwindled away with every minute he kept her waiting. She hated waiting.

 _Strike One._

Michonne shot Sasha an impatient glance and sighed. Before she opened up her mouth to speak, Sasha held up her finger and shook her head. "Don't give me that look Chonne. You agreed to do this without complaining."

Okay. Sasha had a point. Michonne promised to refrain from complaining, but the thought of being stood up after fighting through rush hour traffic changed things, especially since she cut her work day short to arrive on time.

"Fine. Then tell me he's still coming."

"He's still coming." Sasha turned her attention to Abraham and placed her hand on his arm. "Babe, tell her he's coming." The uncertainty in Sasha's voice wasn't lost on Michonne.

Abraham's eyes traveled from Sasha to Michonne, the look on his face a mixture of both amusement and annoyance, most likely on Michonne's behalf. She hadn't stopped fidgeting or grumbling about their evening plans since she met up with them downtown after work.

"Ladies, don't get your panties twisted up in a bunch. If my buddy says he'll be here, he'll be here. So I'm gonna need you both to chillax," he said, with his eyes focused only on Michonne.

"Well I hope so. I didn't get dressed up for nothing," Michonne mumbled, attempting to adjust the length of her white strapless dress—a perfect choice for a warm Chicago summer night. The dress fit a lot tighter and shorter than what she remembered, barely reaching her knee now. _Should have gone with the black pantsuit,_ she thought, observing the crowd. She felt slightly overdressed in comparison to everyone else's business casual attire.

"Because it's so uncomfortable for you to dress up," Sasha said, her voice oozing with sarcasm. "Did you forget I used to work for you? I saw your wardrobe every day. I've been in your closet plenty of times. Dressing up is what you do."

"Yes Sasha, but not like this. Not in a long time," she reminded her. "Especially not for a date."

Michonne took a break from the dating game after she broke off her engagement with Mike—that was almost a year ago. Dating felt like a chore to her now. Too much work. She changed her outfit and hairstyle three times before she left her house. After thirty minutes of frustration, she gathered her long locks over her shoulder and defaulted to her go-to outfit. And she was still second-guessing her decision to wear her favorite date night dress. She had put too much effort into impressing some guy she never met before. One who may never show up.

Abraham's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Geesh Michonne, how long has it been?" Michonne shot him a menacing stare, one that he had become accustomed to when he started dating her best friend over a year ago.

He held up the flashing pager, alerting them their table was finally ready. "How about we go get seated? And get our girl Michonne a very strong drink." Abe placed his arm around Sasha and followed the hostess to their table with Michonne a few steps behind them. "Now why did we agree to do this in the first place?" he whispered to Sasha, purposely loud enough for Michonne to hear.

"I can still hear you, Abe."

He turned around and winked at her. "I know."

Michonne decided she would have a good time with her friends tonight whether her Mystery Man showed his face or not. Ever since Sasha quit her assistant job at Michonne's law firm six months ago to pursue her career as a paramedic, she went from seeing Sasha every day to once a week at the most. She wasn't about to let a stranger ruin a much needed night out with her friend. She barely knew anything about him anyway. Sasha only divulged basic information: Single. Recently moved to Chicago from Atlanta. Attractive (although Sasha claimed she had no pictures of him). And he was a cop. Michonne hated dating cops.

 _Strike number two._

Michonne still couldn't believe she agreed to go out on a last-minute blind date, especially without seeing a picture first, but after almost a year of fighting off Sasha's matchmaking obsession to pair her with every single straight male in the city, she finally gave in.

She just hoped she wouldn't regret it.

* * *

#######

The seat across from Michonne was still empty when the appetizers arrived. Abraham kept her up-to-date on his text messages, assuring her his friend was caught in traffic and still on his way. Michonne no longer cared. Even without a date, she didn't feel like a third wheel with Sasha and Abraham.

She rarely had the opportunity to take a breather, so she intended to enjoy her evening away from work. She relaxed the moment they sat down, taking in the vibrant yet mellow atmosphere of the Caribbean restaurant and lounge, remembering all of the things she missed about having a social life. Live music. Great food. Stimulating conversation. And tonight she had lots of laughter from Abraham's crazy stories.

Her eyes wandered to the front of the restaurant. A man standing at the hostess station caught her attention. His side profile looked vaguely familiar to her from a distance.

She continued to watch him out of the corner of her eye, her curiosity to see his entire face getting the best of her. She took in the rest of his appearance while she waited for him to turn around. Medium height. Nice build. In shape but not too buff. Her heartbeat sped up a little when she saw the hostess motion toward the right side of the restaurant, in the same direction as their table location. He gave the server a slight nod and proceeded down the center aisle, moving closer in their direction. She noticed he was bow-legged, a quality she always found sexy.

 _Could this be him?_

He was almost in their section when he stopped to let an elderly couple walk in front of him, giving Michonne a clear view of his entire face. She watched him for a few seconds before the realization kicked in. She had seen his face before. Her stomach dropped as she remembered their previous encounter.

 _No. Please don't be the Mystery Man._

To her dismay, he continued walking toward their section. Abraham suddenly turned around and waved, motioning the man with the bow-legged walk over to their table, dissolving her hope that he was at the restaurant by coincidence and not as her date.

Michonne groaned. "You've got to be kidding me," she mumbled to Sasha. "Please tell me this is not your guy."

"Yup, that's him." Sasha's grin faded when she saw Michonne's face. "Could you look anymore horrified?"

 _Officer Grimes was her blind date?_

 _Definitely strike number three._

Michonne's face frowned up as she shook her head in disgust. "He's the jerk who pulled me over a couple weeks ago and gave me that unnecessary speeding ticket." She didn't need to elaborate on the incident. Sasha heard an earful about the insensitive, rude cop who singled her out on the highway and almost caused her to miss court.

"You're joking, right? The cop you accused of being a racist? Are you sure it's him?"

Michonne continued to watch him as he walked over to their table. She was more than sure. Those piercing blue eyes. She could spot them anywhere, even from a distance. She'd never forget them.

Sasha patted her on the hand. "Well you got him all wrong. Be nice and don't embarrass me," she whispered through clenched teeth.

Before she could respond, Sasha and Abe stood up to give him a hug, blocking Michonne's view.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. Man, I thought Atlanta traffic was bad. This traffic is…" his voice trailed off when Sasha returned to her seat, giving him a full view of their table. His eyes landed on Michonne. She watched his friendly smile fade as a look of realization flashed across his face.

Abraham returned to his seat across from Sasha. "Rick, this is our lovely friend, Chonne. Well her real name is Michonne but she's the one I told you about…"

Rick held up his hand to cut him off. "Oh we've met before." He peered at Michonne as he took a seat across from her, his intense stare and slight scowl revealing an irritation that reflected her own.

Abe looked back and forth between Michonne and Rick as they continued to stare each other down in silence. "Wait, you two know each other? How in the hell is that possible?"

"Well Abe, your good friend here, Officer Crimes, is the one who gave me a ticket a few weeks ago."

"It's Grimes."

She rolled her eyes at his attempt to correct her. Of course she knew his name. She wrote it down along with his badge number with every intention to report him. She never got around to doing it, but seeing him tonight reminded her to add the complaint to the top of her to-do list.

"Trust me, I know. I just thought Officer Crimes was more fitting since you apparently like to pass out tickets like it's Halloween candy. For no reason."

He scoffed at her remark. "Not for no reason. You were doing 75 in a 45 zone."

"I told you I had to be in court for my client. It's not my fault you chose not to believe me." Michonne recalled how he eyed her tank top and yoga pants and raised his eyebrow in disbelief when she told him she was a lawyer and she needed to meet her client at court.

"Look Chonne…"

"Michonne," she corrected him. "Only my friends call me Chonne. You don't know me like that."

"Okay, Michonne," he said, exaggerating her name with his Southern drawl. "I was just doing my job. You speed, you get a ticket. It's plain and simple. That's how things work. I didn't racially profile you, and I didn't appreciate you saying that when I was just doing my job."

Abe chuckled. "Well I'll be damned." He pointed to Rick. "So let me get this straight. He's the racist prick that pulled you over? And," Abe laughed even harder as he pointed his finger at Michonne, "this is the crazy chick who basically cursed you out?"

Abe let out a hearty laugh, barely attempting to control it when he realized he was laughing alone. "Come on y'all. I need everyone to pull the sticks out of their cracks and let it rip because this is funny. I mean Michonne talked about that incident for almost a week. I thought she was about to call the Rainbow Coalition on Rick. And Rick almost arrested you for that mouth of yours. He regretted letting you off the hook with just a ticket. I had to hear about it from the both of you. And now y'all are across the table from each other." Michonne felt Sasha kick Abraham underneath the table.

Rick leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at her. "Racist prick?"

She folded her arms across her chest, challenging his defiant stare. "Crazy chick?"

He shrugged. "Not my exact choice of words. Abe's being far too kind."

Michonne's scowl deepened. "Well I have a few choice-"

"How about we order a round of drinks and dinner? Sasha suggested, casting a nervous glance to Abe.

Rick reached for the drink menu. "Looks like I'll be needing one or five of 'em."

"Wait, so you're actually staying?" Michonne ignored the nudge in her side from Sasha. She had finally relaxed and found herself having a great time. Not only did Rick decide to stroll in extra late, but he had managed to ruin her mood in less than five minutes of his grand entrance. Returning back to the office to work sounded like more fun at the moment. There was no reason for her to stay around. But she had no intention of leaving.

"I've been stuck in traffic for two hours and I'm hungry, so yes Michonne. I'll be staying." He looked around the table. "I'm sure it's okay with everyone else. Sasha? Abe? Any objections?"

"You can stay as long as you like, Rick. We're happy to see you," Sasha said, ignoring Michonne's stare.

Abraham nodded. "Yea what she said." He waved their waiter over to the table. "We need a couple more drinks. You might want to keep 'em coming."

Michonne let out a sigh. Two against one. Her friends had turned on her. She grabbed her fork and took a bite of her salad.

It was going to be a long night indeed.

* * *

#####

Michonne ate her dinner in silence as everyone else chatted about work and life in general. She tried to appear uninterested even though a couple of comments caught her attention. Rick had a 10-year-old son. Carl. He lived with his mom. Sounded like she had primary custody.

Abe looked at Michonne. "You're quiet for once. Normally we can't get this one to take a breath."

Sasha glared at Abe. "Rick, what Abe is trying to say is Michonne is a brilliant lawyer with a gift of gab. She can talk herself out of anything. I've never seen anything like it."

The corner of Rick's mouth turned up slightly, an amused smirk dancing on his lips. "Well," he said looking up from the drink menu. His eyes lingered on Michonne for a few seconds before returning his attention back to Abe and Sasha. "Not everything apparently."

Michonne rolled her eyes but continued to ignore him. She turned her attention to Sasha and the two caught up on work, TV shows and other topics. Rick was now the silent one, but unlike her, he appeared to be interested in her conversation. Whenever Michonne glanced across the table, she found his eyes watching her. It made her uncomfortable.

Sasha turned her attention back to the Rick. "So Michonne actually lives downtown. She is an official city girl. I told her she should show you around since you're so new here."

Michonne cleared her throat and took a sip of water, refraining herself from pinching Sasha for volunteering her services as a tour guide. There was no way she would ever show this "prick" around town.

"Well I don't think that can happen with my crazy work schedule and um, I'm just busy. I'm sure Officer Grimes here does a lot of sightseeing already on patrol in the suburbs when he's not pulling people over."

"Yea, and I'd hate to pull Michonne away from all of her court cases. Her being a big-time lawyer and all. Shame she can't talk herself out of a $75 speeding ticket."

The scowl on Michonne's face returned against her own will to play it cool. His eyes mocked her. He purposely enjoyed toying with her. And it showed.

Sasha pointed overhead and smiled across the table at Abe. She nodded her head toward the band located on the other side of the restaurant, a lounge area for live music. "This is our song," she announced. She was already standing up before Abe could respond. Michonne knew Sasha's request was more of an attempt to leave her alone with Rick than the couple's actual love song. She shot Abe and Sasha a pleading look, but they both ignored her.

As usual, Abe was already in a trance as he watched Sasha slowly sway to the beat.

"You know I'll dance with you to whatever." He looked back at Michonne and Rick. "Try not to kill each other please."

And then they were gone.

Michonne and Rick both watched Sasha and Abe make their way over to the lounge area.

Rick looked at the couple in awe. "I still don't know how Abe pulled that off. I've been hearing about her long before they even hooked up. And then when I finally moved up here and met her…I was blown."

Michonne nodded her head in agreement. She used to wonder what Sasha saw in Abe. He could be tactless. Loud. Brutish. But Abe proved himself over time. The way he looked at Sasha, as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. As if no one else existed. Michonne finally understood. She loved the way he treated her friend and eventually also grew fond of him, despite how often they bumped heads. She only hoped to find that type of love one day.

"Yea tell me about it. He gets on my nerves. But he treats my girl right so I approve. He's a good guy."

Rick nodded. "Yea, that he is."

The two settled back into their chairs in a comfortable silence. "Wait Officer Grimes did we just agree on something?"

"I think we did. And when are you just going to call me Rick?"

"Does hearing me call you Officer Grimes bring up bad memories?"

Rick looked over at the table across from them, obviously avoiding eye contact. "Well the last time you called me Officer Grimes, you were accusing me of racially profiling you."

She sighed. "Okay so maybe I was having a bad day."

"You don't really believe that do you? That I did that to you?"

She made direct eye contact with him, surprised that he actually sounded concerned about what she thought of him. She did think he was rude and arrogant, but she knew he wasn't a racist. "No. I don't. You just picked the wrong time to pull me over. You were a jerk to me though."

He nodded his head, seeming relieved by her answer. "I can accept that. Guess we both just let our emotions get the best of us, Chonne. Can I call you that now?"

She honestly didn't mind him calling her Chonne. She just really liked the way he said her full name in his Southern accent.

"No Rick, you cannot. You haven't earned that yet."

He flashed her a genuine smile for the first time, revealing pearly whites behind his full pink lips. She took in the rest of his face. Now that her contempt for him was slowly dissolving, she saw him clearly. She understood why women in the restaurant were eyeing him when he walked through the front door. He was pretty—but he still had a ruggedness to him. His baby blue eyes contrasted against his dark brown curly hair. The neatly trimmed goatee on his face accentuated his jaw line and framed his mouth perfectly. Her eyes traveled to his lips again. They looked soft.

"Michonne?"

She suddenly realized his mouth had stopped moving. She was so focused on his lips that she hadn't heard his question.

"Huh?" She looked away from him, hoping he didn't catch her checking him out.

"I said we can make a run for it. We don't have to pretend. We can sneak out while they're dancing."

She nodded. "Yea we could. Is that what you want to do?"

"Isn't it what you want?"

"Sure. But first," she nodded her head toward the bar, "our server is MIA and you owe me a drink. Seventy-five dollars worth."

He smirked at her. "Guess I could have been easy on you that morning. I was having a helluva day too. But I do owe you, so I'll be right back."

As soon as Rick went to the bar, Michonne took a moment to run to the restroom. She examined herself in the mirror before she left, fully satisfied that she wore the white dress tonight. Rick was already back at the table after her bathroom break. His eyes scanned the room, probably wondering where she disappeared to. He eventually spotted her. Their eyes locked as she made her way through the crowd. He settled back in his chair and sipped on his beer as he watched her walk back to the table. He never took his eyes off of her, eyeing her carefully with every step. As much as she wanted to look away from him, she held his gaze until she made it to the table. The look in his eyes confirmed how she looked tonight.

He cleared his throat, giving her the once-over before she took her seat. "That's some…dress."

Michonne was thankful her dark skin hid the blush forming on her cheeks. The last thing she needed was for Rick to think he was having an effect on her.

 _Wait, was he?_

She looked down at the table. A glass of Sangria awaited her. Her favorite drink. She smirked.

"Did I get the right drink? You seemed like a Sangria lady."

"Yea, you did okay."

He held his beer in the air. "Here's to no more tickets by non-racist cops. And no more 100 miles per hour, fast and furious chases to represent your clients in workout clothes."

They both laughed as they clinked their glasses together.

"So you were all up in my car."

"Yea I checked you out."

Michonne felt her cheeks grow warm again.

 _What the hell is wrong with me? I literally hated this man five minutes ago._

Michonne needed to change the subject and fast. She had an idea.

"There's a game I like to play to get to know people. We both have to ask and answer three questions in three words. Serious responses only." She took a sip of her drink, pausing for his reaction before playing her favorite game.

He sat up straight with an intrigued look on his face. "Well I'm ready when you are."

"I'll start," she told him. "Ever been married?"

"Yes. Happily divorced. My turn." He took another sip of his beer. "Were you married?"

"Never. Engaged once. Question number two: Why'd you move?"

"Carl lives here. He's my son," he clarified. "Got any kids?"

"Nope. Proud auntie." Michonne paused to think about her final question. She liked playing this game with him. "Last question. Your biggest regret?"

"Not arresting you," he said with a smirk. His face turned serious after giving the question some thought. "Okay…getting married young."

She sensed a hesitancy from him, so she nodded her head for him to proceed to ask her his final question. He put his beer on the table and leaned forward, giving her his full attention.

"Why are you still single?"

Okay, so she wasn't expecting _that_ question. She grabbed her water to bide time. She didn't know how to give him a serious response.

"That's more than three words Officer Grimes. So I'm not going to answer."

"Well, I'd like to know. You said serious answers only. I want a serious answer."

"Well, are you going to force it up out of me? Handcuff me? Arrest me?" She gave him an innocent, playful look. He stared at her in silence for a few moments, the intensity in his eyes returned, causing her to look away. He almost looked bothered or upset.

"Are you going to answer my question, Michonne?"

 _Damn._ There it was again. The way he said her name. It soothed and excited her at the same time.

"I haven't found anyone I enjoy more than my work." She let out a quiet exhale. People asked her that question constantly and she always gave them the same reply. Her half-version of the truth—she was too busy for romance. She couldn't believe she finally admitted the full truth out loud to someone she barely knew.

"What about you, Rick?"

He shrugged. "Haven't found a reason to get back out there. To want to try again."

They finished their drinks in silence.

No further words were necessary.

* * *

########

The night was finally winding down. Michonne and Rick conversation hopped from favorite movies to politics and everything else in between. Sasha and Abraham made it back to the table just as Michonne announced she had to leave. She had a client meeting at the crack of dawn for a court case next week. The couple shared a pleased glance when Rick offered to walk Michonne to her car. They said their goodbyes to Sasha and Abraham and headed outside. Michonne was barely out the door when Sasha sent her a text, reminding her to call with details.

Rick shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked across the street to Michonne's convertible.

"You know Abe just told me about this date a few days ago. He didn't even give me your full name. He just kept saying Chonne. No pictures. No information. Nothing."

She shook her head. "Same here. I knew absolutely nothing about you."

"Had you known it was me you wouldn't have shown up."

Michonne remained silent. No need to dispute that fact. "The same goes for you too."

They reached her car. For once she wished she had parked further down the street. "Well here we are."

"Here we are."

Michonne dug around in her purse until she found her car keys. She caught Rick watching her with a tender gaze, a drastic difference from his hostile look a few hours ago.

"What made you stick around tonight? I mean, once you realized who I was."

He shrugged. "Like I told you guys, I was hungry. Hadn't eaten anything all day. If it hadn't been for my appetite…"

She pursed her lips in disbelief. "You could have just taken the food to go."

"Well," he said, his eyes lingered on her face before he eyed her up and down, "must've been something else."

Her body suddenly felt warm, despite the cool breeze in the air.

He tilted his head to the side with a curious look on his face. "I could ask you the same question."

"That's easy. I was there first and-"

Before Michonne finished her answer, Rick reached out and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. She stepped back in surprise, completely caught off guard.

"I'm sorry. You had something…there was an eyelash or something…I shouldn't…"

She enjoyed watching the flustered, stammering version of Rick. It was cute.

"It's okay," she told him. "Thanks."

He looked at her, his mesmerizing eyes drawing her in again. "You're beautiful. I-I just wanted to tell you that."

 _So are you,_ she wanted to tell him. But she just shrugged instead. "You're not so bad yourself, especially for a cop."

He laughed. "So can I see you again?"

She paused, contemplating his question. Did she really want to go out with him again after such a bad start?

 _Maybe…_

"I'll take you out to dinner and then you can show me around Chicago. It'll definitely be more fun than tonight. And you won't miss being at work." He searched her face, his eyes willing her to say yes. He lowered his voice. "I'll be sure to give you a reason."

Michonne's heartbeat sped up. The way he looked at her. His voice. His words. She could no longer hide her attraction to him behind a scowl or anger now that their hostility toward each other had dissolved. Completely. It was hard for her to focus with the undeniable electricity sizzling between them. One she didn't see coming. She didn't even know how to deal with it. For all the wrongs about tonight, something about this moment felt right.

He held her car door open for her as she slid into the driver's seat.

"I'm willing to show you around the city. But more fun than work? That's a big promise to fill. I'm going to hold you to it."

He closed the door and looked down into the open driver's window. "I'm good for it."

Michonne nodded her head, already anticipating the next time she would see Rick again.

"Goodnight Officer Grimes."

"Goodnight Chonne."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: This was meant to be a one-shot but I couldn't let the story go without writing it from Rick's point of view. This story was fun to write and I hope to write more. I have an idea of where I'd like to see it go. I took a long break but I will update this one and my other Richonne fanfic as soon as I can! Thanks again for your feedback. :)_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead. I'm just Team Richonne._

* * *

 **Give me a Reason, Too**

 **(Rick's point of view)**

The night was already off to a bad start.

Rick drummed his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel as he waited for the light to turn green. Between the rush hour traffic and construction, he hadn't moved in thirty minutes. The clock on the dashboard blared out at him, reminding him that he was late. _Really late._

He cursed underneath his breath and made a U-turn, turning off the radio to drive in silence and concentrate on finding a new route. Even the smooth jazz station couldn't block out his frustrations about the day, including his argument with Lori. She had a way of making him feel like he never did enough, even though he had packed up his life, moved to the Midwest, put in a transfer and sold his house just to be closer to Carl.

He still couldn't believe how Lori tried to guilt him into canceling his plans tonight because she suddenly had a date, even though he told her about his schedule weeks ago. Rick's hand clenched the steering wheel tighter when he replayed the words that sparked their argument.

 _"_ _What did you move here for if you're not going to help out?"_ she asked in her signature condescending tone. The one he'd grown to hate over the years. After thirty minutes of back and forth he decided to drop Carl off at his classmate's house for a sleepover, putting him almost an hour behind schedule.

Rick took a deep breath and contemplated canceling on Abe and heading back home. A new text message on his phone caught his attention.

 _Where you at buddy?_

 _Still stuck in traffic._

 _K. About to get seated. Don't even think about canceling._

Rick let out a soft chuckle. His college buddy knew him too well. Truthfully, he didn't know why he'd agreed to go on this date. He felt drained after his argument with Lori. Not to mention another rough day at work. At this point he just wanted to go home, kick his feet up with a beer and watch something mindless on TV. He didn't want to think tonight, and he was no longer in the mood to be social. Especially with a woman he knew nothing about.

Other than mentioning her name, "Chonne", Abe remained tight-lipped about Rick's blind date. He just promised Rick that she was his type—smart, attractive, and witty with a personality completely opposite from Lori. Rick didn't know how to take that since Abe was completely biased. Abe never liked Lori, and his dislike for her only grew stronger after their divorce. The minute Abe sensed Rick was open to dating again, he jumped on top of the opportunity to set him up.

His GPS showed his arrival time was less than ten minutes. He sent Abe an update.

 _Pulling up in five._

 _Got a cold beer waiting for ya._

Rick pulled up to valet and shook his head. Almost an hour late. Not the first impression he wanted to make tonight.

He walked inside of the restaurant and looked around, taking note of the crowd. Some people were in business attire and others wore jeans. He fit right in with his fitted brown shirt and khaki pants.

He did one final sweep of the room before he approached the hostess stand. He saw no sign of Abe or Sasha, and Abe wasn't the kind of guy you easily missed.

"I'm meeting some friends here for dinner. They're already here. Should be under Abraham."

The hostess eyeballed him before she scanned the reservation list and shook her head no. "Wait, I'm sorry," he corrected himself, realizing that Abe would never make reservations at a restaurant this upscale. Rick usually met up with Abe at a diner or hole in the wall place. "It's probably under Sasha Williams."

She rechecked the list and nodded, pointing toward the right side of the room. "They're toward the back. I can take you if you'd like." She flashed him an overt smile. According to Abe, women flirted with Rick all the time. This was one of the few times he actually noticed it.

He gave her a slight grin, not wanting to appear rude. "No thanks, I got it." He inched through the restaurant, giving himself time to scan each section. An elderly couple stepped out in front of him. He gave them a friendly smile and let them go ahead of him. He normally loved watching elderly couples. He used to imagine himself and Lori at the stage, growing old together. Still in love after a lifetime. But now it was just a reminder that he may not ever experience that type of love. At least not with Lori. Even though he was finally okay with his new reality, a part of him still wondered if he would experience that with someone else. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to at this point.

Rick started to feel an unexpected nervousness as he continued searching for Abe and Sasha. He suddenly realized how out of touch he was with the dating scene. He married Lori right out of high school, so he never dealt with blind dates or meeting women. For all he knew, he may not even be Chonne's type.

Rick spotted his college friend seated toward the back of the restaurant—his large stature and bright red buzz cut always stood out in the crowd. Abraham turned around and waved his hand, motioning him to come over. He was already on his feet with Sasha standing by his side when Rick made his way to their table.

"Well it's about time. I was starting to think you bailed on us," Abraham said with a smirk. Rick gave Abraham and Sasha a hug.

"I'm sorry I'm late. Man, I thought Atlanta traffic was bad. This Chicago traffic is…" He lost his train of thought when Sasha stepped out of the way and returned to her seat, revealing the other person at the table. The warm smile on his face disappeared as soon as he saw her.

 _You've got to be kidding me. Her?_

Her cold stare and disapproving frown told Rick that she remembered him too.

His night suddenly went from bad to worse.

Rick looked away from the table and let out an aggravated sigh as he recalled their first encounter on the highway a few weeks ago. He toyed with the idea of calling it a night before it even began. Another encounter with this woman couldn't end well for either of them.

He held his hand up to stop Abraham from singing anymore of her praises. He didn't need the formalities. He knew enough about this woman. She was rude. Arrogant. Bad attitude. The opposite of everything Abraham told him. And definitely a lot more like Lori than Abraham wanted to admit. He wanted to pull Abe to the side and call him out. What in the world did Abraham think they had in common? Maybe Abe didn't know Chonne as well as he thought.

"Oh we've met before," Rick told him, unable to hide the scowl on his face as he took his seat across from her. She continued to stare him down in silence, her eyes peering into his with an equal amount of contempt.

Rick held her gaze, taking note of her face. Her aggravated facial expression was an exact replica of the one she wore when he pulled her over a couple weeks ago for driving like a maniac on the expressway. He doubted the woman ever smiled. She seemed incapable of it.

"Wait, you two know each other? How in the hell is that possible?"

Before he could answer Abe, Chonne motioned her hand in his direction and beat him to it. "Well Abe, your good friend here, Officer Crimes, is the one who gave me a ticket a few weeks ago."

Rick clenched his jaw, not finding any humor about the situation. He also didn't appreciate her sarcasm. She knew his name. She only threatened to report him 50 times that morning. "It's Grimes," he corrected her.

Her dramatic eye roll irritated him. "Trust me, I know. I just thought Officer Crimes was more fitting since you apparently like to pass out tickets like it's Halloween candy. For no reason."

He scoffed at her remark. "Not for no reason. You were doing 75 in a 45 zone."

"I told you I had to be in court for my client. It's not my fault you chose not to believe me."

Rick let out a frustrated sigh. True, he did take note of her workout attire and wasn't sure if he believed she was being 100 percent honest, especially since she she admitted to leaving her driver's license at home. But her absurd accusations that morning pissed him off.

 _Are you assuming I'm the client? Are you implying an African-American woman wearing workout attire possibly can't be an attorney? Do you assume that we are all criminals?_

Replaying her accusation made him upset all over again. He came out tonight to escape from the tension. Not to add to it. First Lori, and now this woman he didn't even know had contributed to his growing headache. He definitely needed to call it a night.

"Look Chonne…"

"Michonne," she corrected him. "Only my friends call me Chonne. You don't know me like that."

"Okay, Miiichoonne," he dragged out her name, making sure to overenunciate every syllable. "I was just doing my job. You speed, you get a ticket. It's plain and simple. That's how things work. I didn't racially profile you, and I didn't appreciate you saying that when I was just doing my job."

Abe chuckled. "Well I'll be damned." He pointed to Rick. "So let me get this straight. He's the racist prick that pulled you over? And," Abe laughed even harder as he pointed his finger at Michonne, "this is the crazy chick who basically cursed you out?"

Abe let out a hearty laugh, barely attempting to control himself until he realized he was laughing alone. "Come on y'all. I need everyone to pull the sticks out of their cracks and let it rip because this is funny. I mean Michonne talked about that incident for almost a week. I thought she was about to call the Rainbow Coalition on Rick. And Rick almost arrested you for that mouth of yours. He regretted letting you off the hook with just a ticket. I had to hear about it from the both of you. And now y'all are across the table from each other."

Rick felt a kick underneath the table. Judging by Sasha's face, he knew the kick was meant for Abraham.

He looked at Michonne, trying to tame the anger rising within him. No one had ever accused him of being racist during his entire career as a police officer. And he didn't appreciate Michonne spreading such a vicious rumor about him. He leaned forward. "Racist prick?"

She folded her arms across her chest, her lips pursed together. "Crazy chick?"

He shrugged, no longer caring if she knew what he _really_ thought of her. "Not my exact choice of words. Abe's being far too kind."

Michonne's scowl deepened. "Well I have a few choice-"

"How about we order a round of drinks and dinner?" Sasha suggested.

Rick reached for the drink menu. "Looks like I'll be needing one or five of 'em."

He watched Michonne's eyes widen in surprise. "Wait, so you're actually staying?"

He contemplated leaving at that point. Michonne made it clear she didn't want him there and the feeling was definitely mutual. He barely had an appetite left at this point. Why add on stress after an already hectic day?

But on the other hand, he fought through traffic and with Lori to get out tonight and he actually took time to get ready, exhausted and all. He deserved to be there tonight as much as she did. And if she didn't like it, she could be the one to leave. Besides, he didn't get out much and he'd looked forward to hanging with Sasha and Abe all week. The situation wasn't ideal, but he'd make it work.

"I've been stuck in traffic for two hours and I'm hungry, so yes Michonne. I'll be staying." He looked in the direction of his friends. "I'm sure it's okay with everyone else. Sasha? Abe? Any objections?"

Sasha smiled at him. "You can stay as long as you like, Rick. We're happy to see you."

Abraham nodded his head in Sasha's direction. "Yea what she said." He waved their waiter over to the table. "We need a couple more drinks. You might want to keep 'em coming."

Michonne let out an exaggerated sigh across the table. He couldn't contain the smirk on his face as he looked over the menu. Of course his friends wanted him there. She was the only one who felt differently. It was her problem to deal with, not his. He waited to see if she would change her mind and leave. To his dismay, she grabbed her fork and took a bite of her salad.

Looks like they both were sticking around.

* * *

Rick's irritation about the situation subsided as the night went on. He engaged in a lengthy conversation with Abe, the two of them catching up about work, life, family and reminiscing about their college days. Tonight made him realize how much he missed hanging out with his friend. It was hard not knowing anyone in a big city. He had almost convinced his other best friend Shane to move to Chicago, but that plan fell apart when Shane proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Andrea a month ago. The two decided to stay in Atlanta. As much as Rick missed his former life there, he couldn't leave Carl. He refused to only see his son a few times a year.

"So how's little man doing? How old is he now?" Abe asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Carl's doing good. He's ten now."

"Man, how'd that happen?"

Rick eyes drifted in Michonne's direction. She kept her attention focused on Sasha, not paying him any mind until he mentioned Carl. She suddenly seemed interested in the conversation, her body leaning in closer to the table.

"You tell me. Can't believe how time flies." Rick shook his head. "That's why I had to move up here. Since Lori got sole custody, there was no way I was only about to see him on the weekends and holidays."

"I hear ya man. It was a good move for you. And you know I'm happy to have you here, bro." Abe pointed in Michonne's direction. "You're quiet for once." He looked at Rick. "Normally we can't get this one to take a breath."

Sasha shook her head and looked at Rick with a smile, another attempt to clean up Abraham's tactlessness. "Rick, what Abe is trying to say is Michonne is a brilliant lawyer with a gift of gab. She can talk herself out of anything. I've never seen anything like it."

Rick bit his lip to keep from laughing at the irony of Sasha's statement. He smiled, amused at Michonne's "gift of gab" since she couldn't talk herself out of a speeding ticket. Actually the more she talked, the worse the situation became.

"Well…" he said looking up from the drink menu with a tiny smirk. He let his eyes linger on Michonne for a few seconds before returning his attention back to Abe and Sasha. "Not everything apparently."

Michonne scoffed at his response and turned her attention back to Sasha. He listened to them in silence, noting how her eyes lit up when she talked about work. It was the most excitement she showed all night. Their conversation shifted when Sasha asked Michonne about her artwork and comic book collection. Funny. He never pegged Michonne as the artist or comic collector type. Carl had an obsession with comic books too, so he recognized some of the comic series Michonne brought up.

He tried his best to ignore her but she was _interesting_. He looked on across the table even though he wasn't invited in the conversation. She threw annoyed glances in his direction occasionally until she eventually shifted her body away from him, making no qualms about her annoyance with him.

 _Am I making her uncomfortable?_

 _Yes, I am_ , he decided. And he secretly enjoyed it more than he wanted to admit to himself.

Sasha nodded her head in Michonne's direction. "So Michonne actually lives downtown. She is an official city girl. I told her she should show you around since you're so new here."

He caught the disapproving look Michonne gave Sasha as she folded her arms across her chest. Her rigid body posture made it clear that she had no interest in taking Sasha up on her offer. He couldn't imagine having a good time with her anyway. His existence seemed to irritate her. And he wasn't sure he could ever get past her attitude.

Michonne cleared her throat and took a sip of water before she responded, her voice cold and uninterested.

"Well," she placed her drink down on the table, making eye contact with him for the first time since dinner started. "I don't think that can happen with my crazy work schedule and um, I'm just busy. I'm sure Officer Grimes here does a lot of sightseeing already on patrol in the suburbs when he's not pulling people over."

He stared at her for a moment, contemplating how to respond. He intended to ignore her sarcasm for the rest of the night, but found it too difficult with her brown eyes peering at him with so much intensity and irritation. "Yea, and I'd hate to pull Michonne away from all of her court cases. Her being a big-time lawyer and all. Shame she can't talk herself out of a $75 speeding ticket."

And there it was. The scowl he anticipated returned on her face instantly. He bit his bottom lip to prevent from smirking at her reaction. He definitely enjoyed toying with her. She made it too easy for him.

Rick opened his mouth to ask Michonne if she was enjoying her plate of untouched food but stopped when Abe and Sasha stood up from the table, ready to make their way to the other side of the restaurant to dance.

Michonne's side eye look toward the couple wasn't lost on Rick. He wasn't thrilled about being left alone with her either. Sasha pointed overhead and smiled across the table at Abe. She nodded her head toward the band located on the other side of the restaurant, a lounge area for live music.

"This is our song," she announced. She was already standing up before Abe could respond. Abe shrugged his shoulder and gave Rick a look that said " _I'm sorry,_ " even though his eyes showed no regrets as he watched Sasha dance to the beat. Rick was on his own.

"You know I'll dance with you to whatever." He looked back at Michonne and Rick. "Try not to kill each other please."

Rick watched Abe lead her unto the dance floor with a twinge of admiration. Abe came off as hard and crude to other people but he transformed into a different person whenever he was in Sasha's presence. Most people didn't know Abe's story or how his life fell apart after losing his family in a tragic accident a few years ago. He'd hit rock bottom. Drinking. Depression. Rick never gave up on him though. Watching his friend move on with a woman as beautiful and sweet as Sasha made him happy. Sasha had breathed life back into Abe. She was the whole package.

Rick looked after the couple in awe. He never had that with anyone, not even when he was married. Sure he loved Lori at one point but what Abe found with Sasha seemed _different._ The real deal. "I still don't know how Abe pulled that off. I've been hearing about Sasha long before they even hooked up. And then when I finally moved up here and met her…I was blown."

He glanced in Michonne's direction. She appeared to be in deep thought. "Yea tell me about it. He gets on my nerves. But he treats my girl right so I approve. He's a good guy."

Rick leaned back in his chair, realizing this was the first time they actually agreed on something and spoke without any hostility. He actually felt relieved.

"Yea, that he is."

"Wait Officer Grimes, did we just agree on something?" she asked, reading his mind.

"I think we did. And when are you just going to call me Rick?"

"Does hearing me call you Officer Grimes bring up bad memories?" Her eyes taunted him.

Rick looked away, shifting his attention to the crowded dance floor on the other side. Abe and Sasha came into view. He saw Michonne swaying to the music out the corner of his eye. For a split second he had an urge to join them on the dance floor. With her.

 _Wait, where the hell is this coming from?_

He cleared his throat, trying to block out the image of Michonne moving her hips on the dance floor. He needed to stay focused. "Well the last time you called me Officer Grimes, you were accusing me of racially profiling you."

She looked down at her drink. "Okay so maybe I was having a bad day."

He figured that was the closest he'd get to an apology. But a part of him had to know how she really felt. He didn't know why it mattered so much, especially since they clearly disliked each other from the moment they met on the highway. Still, none of that changed the fact that he needed to know if she believed her accusations.

He leaned in toward the table, giving her direct eye contact. "You don't really believe that do you? That I did that to you?"

She studied him, as if trying to determine the sincerity of his question. Her hesitation made him nervous. "No," she finally said. "I don't. You just picked the wrong time to pull me over. You were a jerk to me though."

He nodded his head, letting out a silent exhale. "I can accept that. Guess we both just let our emotions get the best of us, Chonne. Can I call you that now?"

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. _So she does smile._

"No Rick, you cannot. You haven't earned that yet."

He smiled, the tension finally evaporating between them. Maybe she was finally letting her guard down.

"So Abe told me you were a lawyer. That's pretty much all he told me about you. And that you were nothing like my ex. What kind of work do you …" His voice trailed off when he realized she wasn't listening. She looked bored. Out of it. It seemed like she wanted to call it a night.

"So you interested in sticking around?" he continued. Her distracted demeanor made it clear she didn't want to be there with him. Maybe her guard hadn't come down after all. "Or we could just sneak out before they get back and call it a night." Still no response. Her eyes peered directly into his but her mind was definitely elsewhere.

 _What's she thinking about_?

 _Why do I care_?

"Michonne?"

"Huh?" She snapped out of her trance and looked away from him.

"I said we can make a run for it. We don't have to pretend. We can sneak out while they're dancing."

She nodded. "Yea we could. Is that what you want to do?"

Her question threw him off guard. He didn't expect her to place the ball in his court. "Isn't it what you want?"

"Sure. But first," she nodded her head toward the bar, "our server is MIA and you owe me a drink. Seventy-five dollars worth."

He smirked. "Guess I could've been easy on you that morning. I was having a helluva day too. But I do owe you, so I'll be right back."

Rick stood up and walked over to the bar, a part of him excited to get away from the table. He needed to clear his head. An hour ago he couldn't wait to leave the restaurant and now he felt disappointed that she wanted to leave. His contempt for her seemed to disappear somewhere between dinner and dessert.

The bartender came directly over to him. "What can I get ya?"

"Good question." He was in such of a hurry to leave the table, he forgot to ask Michonne for her drink of choice. She seemed like a red wine type of lady. "Miller Lite and a Red Sangria," he finally decided.

Someone tapped him on his shoulder. He turned around and found Abe standing in front of him, a lopsided grin across his face.

"How ya doing buddy?"

Rick shrugged. "Hanging in there."

"Glad to see you're still in one piece." Abe slid up to the bar next to him. "Gotta get my girl another drink. And just for the record….Had I known that you two already knew each other from the whole ticket fiasco, I'd saved us all a headache. You know Sasha is going to hear about this later, which means I'll be hearing about it too. Already am."

Rick held up his hand. "It's cool man. You didn't know."

"Let me at least buy your drink."

"Nah, I got it."

The bartender returned with Rick's drink order. Rick pulled out his wallet and paid her, trying his best to ignore Abe's quizzical look.

He raised his eyebrow. "One of those don't look like your kind of drink."

"It's not. I told Michonne I'd get her a drink. Well, she told me I owed her for the $75 ticket."

Abe chuckled. "Sounds like Chonne. Always trying to cut a deal. But if you're buying her a drink at least that means you two are on speaking terms."

"Well we're not fighting if that's what you mean."

Abe nodded to the Sangria in Rick's hand. "And good choice. That's her favorite. I'm gonna go back to Sasha now. See ya in a bit."

Rick nodded, somehow feeling good that he figured out Michonne's favorite drink on his own. She was a complex woman who irritated and intrigued him at the same time. His moment of victory was short-lived when he arrived to the table. She was no where in sight. Her purse gone. He took a seat and frowned, disappointed at the thought that she didn't stick around to say goodbye until an object at the edge of the table caught his eye. He reached over and picked up a set of car keys that belonged to her convertible.

His eyes scanned the restaurant until he spotted Michonne toward the bathroom in the back, slowly making her way through the crowd. Back to him.

For the first time since he arrived, he got a good look at her. All of her. She was sexy. _Damn sexy_. The tight strapless white dress she wore contrasted with her dark, chocolate skin. The hemline stopped right above her knee, giving him a full view of her long, muscular legs. He'd never seen her body before. It was just as beautiful as her face.

He hoped she didn't see him watching her, but he couldn't look away. After a while he no longer care. She mesmerized him.

Michonne spotted him from across the room, failing at his attempt to check her out indiscreetly. They locked eyes. His cover officially blown. He leaned back in his seat and sipped on his beer as he took in her face, her lips, her hips, her sexy stride. She held his gaze until she made it back to the table.

That dress made it hard for him to conceal his attraction. He cleared his throat, giving her the once-over before she took her seat. "That's some…dress."

She casually tossed her braids over her shoulder and looked down at the table, without acknowledging his compliment. Not even a smile or a thank you. He wondered if she felt any kind of attraction toward him.

He caught the smirk on her face when she saw the drink he picked out for her.

"Did I get the right drink? You seemed like a Sangria lady."

"Yea, you did okay."

Her pleased facial expression showed he did better than okay, but he let it go. He held his beer in the air. "Here's to no more tickets by non-racist cops. And no more 100 miles per hour, fast and furious chases to represent your clients in workout clothes."

They both laughed as they clinked their glasses together.

"So you were all up in my car."

"Yea I checked you out."

Her eyes widened slightly. He was taken aback by his own boldness and willingness to admit that he did check her out that day. Without realizing it, he had put himself out there again without any indication that she shared a mutual attraction. Maybe it was one-sided.

Michonne suddenly straightened up, a tinge of excitement in her eyes.

"There's a game I like to play to get to know people. We both have to ask and answer three questions in three words. Serious responses only." She paused and took a sip of her drink.

She had his full attention. If she was willing to play game to get to know him better, then that counted for something. Her excitement about this game was contagious.

He nodded his head, giving her the approval to proceed without appearing too eager. "Well I'm ready when you are."

"I'll start. Ever been married?"

"Yes. Happily divorced. My turn." He took another sip of his beer. There was so much he wanted to know about her but he decided to follow her lead. "Were you married?"

"Never. Engaged once. Question number two: Why'd you move?"

"Carl lives here. He's my son." He figured she knew since he caught her eavesdropping earlier but he still wanted to clarify. "Got any kids?" Wasted question. He already knew the answer. Didn't strike him as the kids type.

"Nope. Proud auntie." Michonne placed her hands under her chin and narrowed her eyes at him, as if she was in deep thought about what to ask him next. "Last question. Your biggest regret?"

He smiled at her. "Not arresting you." Her eye roll showed she wasn't having it. He decided to give her his real answer. One that he regretted a lot after his divorce. "Okay…getting married young."

Now that he witnessed a different side of her, a softer side, he knew exactly what he wanted to ask her for his final question. He finally understood why Abe wanted them to meet. She gave him a slight nod to continue. He put his beer on the table and leaned forward, giving her his full attention.

"Why are you still single?"

She picked up her glass of water at least three times and drank it slowly until every drop disappeared.

"That's more than three words Officer Grimes. So I'm not going to answer."

"Well, I'd like to know. You said serious answers only. I want a serious answer."

"Well, are you going to force it up out of me? Handcuff me? Arrest me?" The words came out of her mouth barely above a whisper in a playful tone. She batted her eyelashes at him, oblivious to the sultriness dripping from her voice. He stared at her in silence, her teasing behavior conjuring up images of her. Making it hard for him to focus on anything other than her full lips.

He resisted the urge to reach across the table and push a stray braid behind her ear. He wasn't sure how she would take it.

 _Focus Rick._

"Are you going to answer my question, Michonne?" His curiosity only grew stronger with every passing moment she purposely avoided the question. She was beautiful and intriguing. He wanted to know why she was single.

She cleared her throat. "I haven't found anyone I enjoy more than my work." Relief flashed across her face as she leaned back into her seat in a relaxed position. He wondered the last time she confessed that to anyone. "What about you, Rick?"

He shrugged, trying to act nonchalant to such a deep question. His answer was simple yet complicated. After his divorce, he never considered getting into a serious relationship again. He'd been out on a couple of dates here and there, but nothing serious. A few women wanted to keep seeing him, but he always found a way to get out of it. He had zero interest in settling down. Carl and work kept him content. It was all he needed for now. He hadn't come across any woman worth his time.

"Haven't found a reason to get back out there. To want to try again."

Neither of them spoke again as they finished their drinks in silence. He enjoyed playing the game with her. He just needed to figure out a way to keep her talking. He needed more questions.

* * *

########

The silence between them didn't last too long. Although they took a break from personal intimate questions, he enjoyed their conversation about simple things, like music, movies and TV…or the lack of TV in Michonne's case.

Michonne let out a yawn. Her second one in less than five minutes.

"Sorry, I know you don't watch TV but I didn't know I was boring."

She laughed at him. "Yes, some of us have better things to do than watch TV. It's not you though." She looked at her watch and frowned.

"What's wrong, Chonne?" Sasha asked, making her way back over to the table with Abraham.

Michonne stifled another yawn. "Hate to call it a night, but I have to get up in a few hours to get ready for this case next week. Didn't realize it was so late."

Sasha threw Abraham a knowing glance, unable to hide her smirk. "Guess time flies when you're having fun."

Abe nodded. "Well this has been one interesting night. Nobody got hurt. And I told you things would simmer down once Chonne got herself a drink or two."

Michonne rolled her eyes at Abe and stood up with her purse in her hand.

Rick stood up. "Let me walk you to your car. If you don't mind."

Abe and Sasha shared another glance, but Rick ignored them.

Michonne nodded her head toward the door. "I'm ready."

Sasha and Abe decided to stick around a little bit longer, so they parted ways with the couple and headed outside. Rick wanted to spend a few more minutes with her before the night ended. He wasn't sure when or if he'd see her again. To his disappointment, Michonne was parked across the street. So much for his plan to stall time.

Michonne walked next to him, barely leaving any room between them. Her arm brushed against his several times. Rick shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked toward her convertible to keep his hands from making any sudden moves.

"You know Abe just told me about this date a few days ago. He didn't even give me your full name. He just kept saying Chonne. No pictures. No information. Nothing."

"Same here. I knew absolutely nothing about you."

"Had you known it was me you wouldn't have shown up." He didn't need a confirmation from her to state the obvious. The feeling was mutual.

"The same goes for you too."

They reached her car quicker than he had hoped. "Well here we are."

"Here we are."

He stared at her as she dug around in her purse until she found her car keys, attempting to sneak in another look before the night ended. He was usually a great judge of character, but in this case he got her all wrong. He had assumed the worst about her based on their first encounter. But this woman standing in front of him was something else.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What made you stick around tonight? I mean, once you realized who I was."

He shrugged, unsure of why he stayed himself. A part of him felt drawn to her, even when she irritated him. But he couldn't tell her that…

"Like I told you guys, I was hungry. Hadn't eaten anything all day. If it hadn't been for my appetite…"

She gave him a slight eye roll, pursing her lips in disbelief. "You could have just taken the food to go."

 _True._

"Well…" he paused, letting his eyes linger on her face before he eyed her up and down, his gaze landing on her lips, "must've been something else."

The words tumbled out of his mouth effortlessly. She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it before she looked away. His confession left her speechless.

"I could ask you the same question."

She turned back in his direction. "That's easy. I was there first and-"

He noticed a piece of hair on her cheek. The same urge to touch her returned, and this time he didn't fight it. Without thinking, he rubbed his thumb gently across her cheek, grazing her jawline in the process. Her skin felt soft. Smooth.

She stumbled back, her eyes widening with surprise. He felt like an idiot. He meant to keep his hands to himself but couldn't resist. Any excuse to touch her.

"I'm sorry. You had something…there was an eyelash or something…I shouldn't…" He hated stammering like he was some 16-year-old kid trying to get laid on a first date. So much for keeping his cool.

She watched him with an amused expression on her face. No doubt she enjoyed him making a fool of himself. "It's okay. Thanks."

He looked at her. He decided to put his feelings out there one last time since he didn't know when he'd see her again…"You're beautiful. I-I just wanted to tell you that."

She shrugged, once again appearing unaffected by his blatant attraction to her. Her nonchalant attitude toward him drove him crazy and excited him at the same time.

"You're not so bad yourself, especially for a cop."

He laughed. "So can I see you again?"

She titled her head to the side and remained silent, pondering her decision.

"I'll take you out to dinner and then you can show me around Chicago," he proposed, before she said no. "It'll definitely be more fun than tonight. And you won't miss being at work." He searched her face, sensing her hesitation but the curiosity in her eyes gave him the confidence. He lowered his voice. "I'll be sure to give you a reason."

Her face suddenly lit up. For the first time he saw something in her eyes that mirrored his own attraction. It was as if she let her walls down. Now that their rage had blown over, the chemistry between them felt real. Magnetic. Intense. Explosive. No words were needed to tell her that. There was something happening between them. No denying she felt it too.

He didn't need a "yes" at this point. The look on her face answered for her. He held her car door open as she slid into the driver's seat.

"I'm willing to show you around the city. But more fun than work? That's a big promise to fill. I'm going to hold you to it."

He closed the door and looked down into the open driver's window. "I'm good for it."

She nodded her head, a slight smile tugged on her lips.

"Goodnight Officer Grimes."

"Goodnight Chonne."

Rick watched her drive off, already anticipating the next time he'd see her again. He promised he'd give her a reason. And he had an idea of where to start.


End file.
